Silicon has enjoyed an enduring majority share of the terrestrial photovoltaic market. Despite the apparent maturity of this technology, the last five years have seen a string of efficiency records in mono- and multi-crystalline cells, perovskite/silicon and III-V/silicon tandems, as well as mono- and bi-facial modules. These improvements have relied on innovations in materials science at the cell and module level that further increased yield, reduced cost and extended reliability. To maintain this trend, sustained material research in key and emerging areas along the value chain is vital, including: (i) understanding and mitigation of bulk absorber material defects and the exploration of new silicon-based absorbers; (ii) development of carrier-selective, passivating contact layers and interfaces for high voltage devices; (iii) high efficiency device concepts including multi-junction solar cells, advanced light trapping and metallization schemes, as well as 3^rd generation concepts relevant to silicon photovoltaics; and (iv) silicon PV module and integrated system related material research including reliability, stability and recycling. The Silicon for Photovoltaics symposium focuses on these topics but more generally seeks to encompass any materials research with the potential to advance silicon photovoltaics.

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